
Korean Gochujang Fish Cake Stir-fry
Gochujang eomuk bokkeum stir-fries chewy fish cake sheets in a punchy sauce of gochujang, soy sauce, oligosaccharide syrup, and minced garlic. Blanching the fish cakes briefly beforehand removes excess grease, producing a cleaner-tasting dish where the spicy-sweet glaze clings evenly to each piece. Onion lends natural sweetness, while diagonally sliced green onion adds a fresh finishing aroma. Sesame oil and sesame seeds round out the flavors with a nutty layer. It is one of Korea's most popular everyday banchan, reliable enough for both daily meals and lunchbox packing.
Adjust Servings
Instructions
- 1
Blanch fish cakes in boiling water for 20 seconds to remove excess oil, drain well, and cut into bite-size pieces.
- 2
Slice the onion thinly and diagonally slice the green onion.
- 3
In a bowl, combine gochujang, soy sauce, oligosaccharide syrup, and minced garlic to make the sauce.
- 4
Heat a pan over medium heat, add oil, and stir-fry the onion for 1 minute to bring out sweetness.
- 5
Add fish cakes and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the sauce and cook 2-3 more minutes until evenly coated.
- 6
Add green onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds, turn off heat, then finish with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
Tips
Nutrition (per serving)
More Recipes

Korean Spicy Stir-Fried Fish Cake
Square fish cake sheets are cut into bite-size pieces and stir-fried in a gochujang-based glaze that balances heat with sweetness. Blanching the fish cake briefly before cooking removes excess oil and opens the surface so the sauce adheres more evenly. Over high heat, the edges of each piece caramelize lightly, adding a subtle smoky note that deepens the overall flavor. The sauce combines gochujang, soy sauce, and oligodang, a Korean corn syrup that gives the glaze its glossy finish and tempers the chili paste's sharpness. Onion slices soften quickly in the pan, releasing moisture that deglazes the base and contributes their own natural sweetness to the sauce. Green onion added at the very end keeps its fresh bite, providing an aromatic counterpoint to the rich coating. Sesame seeds scattered on top round out the dish with a nutty finish. Because the glaze intensifies rather than deteriorates when cooled, this banchan holds up well in packed lunches.

Korean Busan-Style Soy Fish Cake Stir-Fry
Busan - Korea's largest port city - is synonymous with eomuk, pressed fish cake sold at Gukje-sijang market. This version stir-fries sliced fish cake with onion and cheongyang chili in soy sauce, sugar, and cooking wine. Onion cooks first to release its sugars before the fish cake absorbs the glaze. Cheongyang chili adds sharp, lingering heat distinguishing this from milder Seoul versions. Cools well and holds up for hours in lunchboxes.

Korean Spicy Braised Tofu
Spicy dubu-jorim pan-sears firm tofu slabs cut 1.5 centimeters thick until golden on both sides, then braises them in a sauce of soy sauce, gochugaru, garlic, and sugar. Searing first firms the tofu so it holds its shape through the eight-minute simmer, during which onion and green onion cook alongside in the reducing liquid. The chili flakes deliver a direct, persistent heat that penetrates the tofu as the sauce thickens, balanced by the sugar's sweetness. A final circle of sesame oil ties the flavors together with a roasted, nutty aroma.

Korean Spicy Gochujang Dried Squid Stir-Fry
Jinmichae - shredded dried squid - is a Korean pantry staple prized for its chewy texture and umami that intensifies the longer you chew. This preparation coats the strands in a gochujang glaze, making it one of the most widely kept banchan in Korean refrigerators. Briefly soaking the dried squid in water before squeezing softens the tough fibers and opens them to absorb the sauce. The sauce - gochujang, gochugaru, rice syrup, soy sauce, and garlic - is stir-fried first over low heat to mellow the raw chili edge, then the squid is tossed through quickly. Sesame oil and seeds finish the dish off heat, producing a sweet-spicy coated snack that keeps well for days.

Korean Sweet Spicy Stir-fried Filefish Jerky
Jjipo-bokkeum is a Korean side dish made from flat dried filefish jerky cut into pieces, lightly pan-fried, then coated in a sweet-spicy glaze of gochujang, oligosaccharide syrup, and soy sauce. Each chew releases the jerky's concentrated salty umami, softened by the syrupy glaze that gives the surface a glossy sheen. The dish stores well at room temperature for days without losing flavor. It is a versatile banchan that works as a rice side, an afternoon snack, or a drinking companion.

Korean Soy-Braised Fish Cake
Eomuk-jorim - soy-braised fish cake - is among the most reliable banchan in the Korean refrigerator, keeping for up to a week while improving in flavor each day as the soy glaze penetrates deeper. Korean eomuk is a pressed fish paste distinct from Japanese kamaboko, with a chewier, denser bite. The fish cake is cut into triangles or rectangles and simmered in a mixture of soy sauce, rice syrup, garlic, and water. As the liquid reduces by half over ten minutes, the remaining sauce thickens into a sticky, sweet-salty glaze clinging to each piece. Adding a sliced cheongyang chili near the end introduces a subtle heat that lifts the otherwise one-dimensional sweetness. This banchan has been a fixture of Korean school cafeterias, packed lunches, and corner-store side dishes for decades - a workhorse side dish that costs almost nothing to prepare.